Is it oranges, tangerines, or clementines? Do we want naval oranges or Mandarin ones? Nobody really knows except that some are big and some are small.
I wish I could write an easy, 150-word guide on how to peel an orange; A step-by-step process of how to get the first part of the peel off, how to peel any of it without squirting the juice everywhere and getting sticky hands, and explaining how to avoid so many of the other unaddressed challenges in this underappreciated task. No matter the approach, sticky hands seem inevitable, and oranges often seem to frustrate even the most patient among us. (Except for that one person who can perfectly peel theirs.)
No, not everybody wants to have long nails, and walking around with a knife at all times causes more suspicion than help. And those pre-cut, pre-peeled ones at the store? They never have the same freshness and it feels like cheating.
Why is something that seems so simple – just a piece of fruit – so fraught with difficulty?
They require strategy, patience, and a bit of ingenuity to truly master the art of peeling and enjoying them. Perhaps that’s the real challenge – turning something seemingly mundane into an art form.
Maybe the next time we reach for an orange, we’ll be a bit more prepared. Armed with just the right mindset, a little bit of technique, and the willingness to embrace the mess, we might finally be able to conquer this deceptively simple fruit.
